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International Festival of Authors spotlights young writers and translators

Both can interpret the world — and the word — in new ways for readers

“The more we read other people’s books the more we know about the world,” says Geoffrey Taylor, Director of the International Festival of Authors. The festival shines a spotlight on young writers and translated works to focus on brave new words and worlds, starting Oct. 24.

Man Booker Prize winner Eleanor Catton speaks at four events at this year's International Festival of Authors.

The International Festival of Authors pays tribute to Nobel Prize winner Alice Munro on Nov. 2.

Joseph Boyden reads from his Governor General Literary Award nominated novel The Orenda on Sept. 18th then at the International Festival of Authors on Oct. 28th.

Margaret Atwood hosts a conversation with Amy Grace Loyd on Oct. 30th at the International Festival of Authors.

Stephen King opens the International Festival of Authors at the PEN Benefit Oct. 24.

In fact, the art form of writing is renewed seasonally with new authors, which is why this year’s festival, running Oct. 24 to Nov. 3rd at Harbourfront, is focusing on young writers (represented by Catton) — in addition to established, award-winning favourites like Munro.

In fact, some of the young authors appearing on the festival’s stages are already stars.

Catton, who is only 28, became the youngest recipient of the Man Booker Prize in history for her book The Luminaries. She will be involved in four separate IFOA events, Oct. 28, 29, 31 and Nov. 2 — all booked before her big win.

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Joanna Kavenna, one of The Telegraph’s 20 “Writers under 40” and winner of the Orange Award for New Writers for her book Inglorious. She was also highlighted this year in Granta 123: Best of Young British Novelists 4 and she will speak Oct. 29 at IFOA.

The youth theme is officially known as Brand New Word, but organizers occasionally misstate it as Brand New World. In a way that fits too, since the festival’s focus this year is not just on young writers but on translation, opening up the festival to foreign worlds — and words —that might otherwise be missed.

And while Taylor joked the young writers weren’t “carded” to make sure they’re under 40, they are young. “For ballet dancers that might be old, hockey players that might be old, but for writers 40 and under is still quite young,” he said.

“There’s always new ways of presenting literature and writing so there’s constantly growth . . . as writers see the world in a different way they start to write about it that way,” said Taylor who had to narrow down this year’s selected books to hundreds from thousands. “We (the festival) are just a conduit to get it to the public,” Taylor said, “and the brilliant thing about books is every year there are new books.”

It’s Catton’s big win, in particular, that puts writing careers in perspective and highlights people’s interest in younger authors, said Brenna Baggs, communications and marketing co-ordinator for the festival. “I think people are really interested in seeing the work that is being produced by their generation,” she said.

This year’s added emphasis on translation also helps expand the festival’s ability to connect with more readers, Taylor said.

While it isn’t a particularly new theme, it’s the first time IFOA has extended an invitation to a translator to speak.

“The more we read other people’s books the more we know about the world,” Taylor said. “It’s important for us, as a society, to know people and the reality is that through their stories you know people better than you’re ever going to know them.”

It’s a literary art form — much like the original works themselves — even if it’s just a supporting, background role, said Darryl Sterk, a Chinese-English translator who recently translated The Man with the Compound eyes and is speaking about the process, alongside the novel’s author Wu Ming-Yi, 42, at IFOA on Oct. 26.

“Often it feels like I’m creative or I think up a really ingenious way of handling something,” Sterk said. “There are all sorts of challenges in translation. Every sentence, there’s a challenge and you want to pat yourself on the back sometimes.”

But whether its translation or mystery novels or historical fiction, Taylor said there’s something for everyone at this year’s festival and the big draw, he said, is getting to meet authors on the cusp of being well-known.

“We present authors usually before other people have heard of them,” he said. “It’s hard to be modest … but if you look at the overall history of the festival, over 20 Nobel Laureates have been presented on our stage, half of which have been presented before they won.”

In fact, the festival named Alice Munro as this year’s recipient of the$10,000 Harbourfront Festival Prize— before she was named as the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

“We put those big name authors up on the stage in a panel discussion or interview with someone who is lesser known so the audience comes to see the big name and leaves realizing there’s another author they might find fascinating,” she said. “It’s a really exciting way, if you’re a book lover, to hear about new writers.”

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